Special Presentations

There will be a number of special presentations to fill in the time
between training and competing. Presentations open to the public
include a Scientific Panel of three researchers
into diving medicine, a talk by Kim McCoy of Ocean Sensors,
and a special screening of The Freediver.

Three distinguished researchers in diving medicine will be presenting talks
at the 4th AIDA World Freediving Championships. These will be held
on Friday, August 6th from 7:15 to 10:00pm at the Isabel MacInnes
room at Gage Towers, UBC.

Admission is $10.00 Cnd for the general public and free for athletes,
coaches and volunteers. A panel discussion will be held after
talk the talks. Tickets available at the door.

This talk will discuss the dynamic responses of the cardiovascular system
during a breath-hold. These will include a discussion of blood volume
shifts and circulatory adjustments associated with increasing hypoxia
and hypocapnia. A live demonstration of some of these interactions will
be presented through non-invasive measurements of arterial oxygen
saturation, heart rate, blood pressure and cerebral blood flow. There
will be time for hands on activities.

The physiological changes that occur during breath-hold diving are
largely consequences of apnea, immersion, and compression. Responses are
complex, and include circulatory adjustments, blood shifts, lung
compression, cardiac arrhythmias, spleen contraction, altered gas exchange,
hypoxia, and nitrogen effects. Since many of these phenomena are linked
together, yet difficult to study invasively, we have developed a new
computer model to simulate deep breath-hold diving. The model will be
demonstrated, and responses and predictions will be discussed in light of
recent scientific controversies.

Michael Lepawsky, BA, MD, CCFP(C), FPFC, DMO
University of British Columbia Medical School
Vancouver, British Columbia

Paumotan pearl divers are internationally known to
under water scientists, merchants or any who may have been impressed by
the empirically derived breath hold diving techniques proven by trial and
error since time pre dating recorded history. A nutritional necessity in
archeo pelagic times, breath hold diving became gainful employment in
economically challenged, emerging shoaled nations. In pursuing the oyster
that is their prey, breath hold Tuamotu Archipelago pearl divers cannot
break free of their evolutionary physiology and have been found to develop
signs and symptoms of the most serious types of decompression illness (DCI).
A universal Polynesian Island name for the most dreaded of the forms of
the breath hold diving diseases is called by all the peoples of that realm
"taravana". This talk will describe classical breath hold diving habits,
equipment, techniques and outcomes of those who pursue the precious gem
that can be as exquisite an object of beauty as well as a brutal and
vicious assassin.

Kim McCoy is a physical oceanographer with extensive experience in scientific research,
data acquisition, autonomous instrument system design, development.
He is experienced in coastal, deepwater and Polar field operations.

This talk will be in the Isabel MacInnes room at Gage Towers, UBC,
Saturday, August 7, 9:30 to 10:30pm. Admission to this event is
$10.00, payable at the door or
online via PayPal.